Shoulder pad of shoulder strap

ABSTRACT

A shoulder pad comprises a casing impermeable to air, and one or more breathable bodies of a polymer foam. The casing is fastened at two ends with a shoulder strap and is used to encase airtightly the breathable bodies in such a way that the breathable bodies can be inflated or deflated by an air valve fastened to the casing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a shoulder strap, and more particularly to a shoulder pad of the shoulder strap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a prior art shoulder pad 1 is fastened at both ends with a shoulder strap 3. The shoulder pad 1 is made of a plastic material and is provided with a plurality of cells 2, which serve to relieve a distressing condition caused by the shoulder strap 3 under pressure. The extent of relief depends on the density of air that is contained in the cells 2. In another words, when the air density is greater, the cells 2 are relatively rigid. In light of the shoulder pad 1 being worn over the shoulder, the rigid cells 2 of the shoulder pad 1 are bound to undermine the soothing effect of the should pad 1. On the contrary, if the air density is insufficient, the cells 2 of the shoulder pad 1 are incapable of withstanding effectively the pressure exerting on the shoulder strap 3. In addition, the density of air contained in the cells 2 is fixed and can not be adjusted in accordance with the magnitude of the load of the shoulder strap 3.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a shoulder strap with a shoulder pad which is formed of an unbreathable casing, a breathable body of a polymer foam, and an air valve. The breathable body is airtightly enclosed by the unbreathable casing such that the density of air contained in the breathable body can be adjusted by the air valve which is attached to the unbreathable casing. In another words, the breathable body can be inflated or deflated so as to adjust the hardness of the shoulder pad. In addition, the shoulder pad of the present invention alleviates the heat buildup, thanks to the air circulation that takes place in the breathable body.

[0004] The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a prior art shoulder pad.

[0006]FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the prior art shoulder pad as shown in FIG. 1.

[0007]FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0008]FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0009]FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention at work.

[0010]FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5.

[0011]FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal sectional view of another form of the breathable body of the present invention.

[0012]FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal sectional schematic view of the working of the present invention as shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 3-6, a shoulder pad 10 embodied in the present invention has two longitudinal ends 13 and 14, which are fastened with a shoulder strap 20.

[0014] The shoulder pad 10 comprises a casing 11, a breathable body 12, and an air vlave 15. The casing 11 is made of a material impermeable to air. The breathable body 12 is made of a polymer foam and is airtightly encased by the casing 11 such that the breathable body 12 can be inflated or deflated by the air valve 15 which is securely attached to the casing 11.

[0015] As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the shoulder pad 10 of the present invention is worn over the shoulder to moderate a pressure exerting on the shoulder by the load that is carried by the shoulder strap 20. In light of the breathable body 12 being adjustable in its air density, the shoulder pad 10 has an excellent soothing effect under various circumstances. In addition, an air circulation takes place in the breathable body 12 at work so as to alleviate the heat buildup.

[0016] The embodiment of the present invention described above is to be regarded in all respects as being illustrative and nonrestrictive. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from the spirit thereof. For example, the shoulder pad 10 of the present invention may be formed of a plurality of breathable bodies 121 of the polymer foam in place of the breathable body 12, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The breathable bodies 121 are identical in nature and function to the breathable body 12 and are enclosed by the casing 11 in such a manner that the breathable bodies 121 are arranged at interval, thereby resulting in formation of a plurality of inflatable and deflatable cells 122 which work together with the breathable bodies 121 to provide the shoulder pad 10 with a soothing effect, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The present invention is therefore to be limited only by the scopes of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoulder pad of the shoulder strap, said shoulder pad comprising an unbreathable unit fastened at two ends thereof with the shoulder strap, and a breathable unit encased airtightly by said unbreathable unit in such a way that said breathable unit can be inflated or deflated by an air valve attached to said unbreathable unit; wherein said breathable unit is formed of a polymer foam body.
 2. The shoulder pad as defined in claim 1, wherein said breathable unit is formed of a plurality of polymer foam bodies whereby said polymer foam bodies are airtightly encased by said unbreathable unit in such a manner that said polymer foam bodies are arranged at interval, thereby resulting in formation of 2 plurality of inflatable and deflatable cells, with said cells being alternately arranged with said polymer foam bodies. 